Community

Minneapolis youth awarded Certificates of Commendation for work with Tree Trust

Thursday, 19 August 2010 14:26

At a youth recognition picnic on Thursday, August 12, Ecajima Davis and Linda Xiong, residents of Minneapolis and participants in Tree Trust’s Youth Conservation Corps program, were awarded Certificates of Commendation. The certificates, signed by Governor Tim Pawlenty, recognized Ecajima’s and Linda’s exemplary work ethic, leadership, and personal improvement over the course of the nine week program.

Ecajima’s and Linda’s great work with Tree Trust exemplifies how the Youth Conservation Corps program helps youth create lasting, positive changes in their communities and in their own lives.

Gospel Phat Fashion Show & Glow Concert

Monday, 16 August 2010 14:31

Refuge Christian Center (RCC) youth will release the Gospel Phat clothing line, T-Shirts, Skullies, Hoodies, and Jogging suits for men and women at the Clothing Line Release & Glow Concert on August 21, 2010 at Refuge Christian Center, 225 Cleveland Ave South in St. Paul. Doors open at 6:30pm. Event Time: 7:00-8:30pm. Free Will Offering.

Experience the newly released fashion line glowing in the dark and an opportunity to purchase apparel, wristbands and glow necklaces. This is a fashion show and musical concert for the whole family.

Founded by Pastor Marcus Cage, RCC has a seven-year history and is invested in growing spiritual seeds in youth and community through leadership, entrepreneurial development, and artistic expression.

Minnesota Muslims to Begin Ramadan August 11

Friday, 13 August 2010 15:01

Month offers opportunity to learn about Islam, Muslims

On Wednesday, Aug. 11, the Muslim community in Minnesota and around the world began the month-long fast of Ramadan (rom-a-don), the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from dawn to sunset.

Because the beginning and end of Islamic lunar months depend on the sighting of the new moon and different communities use varying methods to determine the moon-sighting, the start and end dates for Ramadan may vary.

The fast is performed to exercise discipline, self-restraint and generosity, while obeying God's commandments. Fasting (along with the declaration of faith, daily prayers, charity, and pilgrimage to Mecca) is one of the "five pillars" of Islam.

Local mosques host iftars (fast-breaking meal) on a daily basis, as well as other social activities. Mosques also have special prayers, called taraweeh, after the daily nighttime prayer. In the last odd-numbered nights of Ramadan, Muslims mark Lailat ul-Qadr ("Night of Power" or "Night of Destiny").

Foreclosure does not mean you cannot vote

Friday, 30 July 2010 15:18

Residents who are involved in mortgage foreclosure proceedings can still vote, says Hennepin County Taxpayer Services Director Jill Alverson.

“You cannot be denied the right to vote simply because you are in foreclosure,” says Alverson, whose department oversees county elections and efforts by the county to assist and inform residents going through foreclosure.

“The fact that a home may be in foreclosure is not sufficient evidence that the owner no longer lives there,” says Alverson. “The foreclosure process is often a long, drawn-out process, sometimes lasting more than eight months and even longer if the owner pursues legal action. The owner may continue to live in the home and still has rights to the property for some time during foreclosure – including the right to live in the home for at least six months after a sheriff’s sale. So as long as you’re living in your house, you can claim it as your residence, even if a foreclosure is in process.”

Gardens, opera and food – A great summertime combination!

J.D. Rivers’ Children’s Garden at Theodore Wirth Park sets the perfect stage for Tales of Hoffmann: A Picnic Operetta at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29. The garden is located at Glenwood Ave. and Washburn in Theodore Wirth Park.

Hoffmann is a globetrotting poet following his romantic whims across Europe encountering fantastical adventures with robots, evil magicians and ghosts. The performance by Mixed Precipitation performance initiative is perfect for opera lovers, gardeners, kids and “foodies,” as locally-sourced food samplings from the garden are prepared fresh and served to translate the events of the story.

Reservations are encouraged due to limited seating. Please call 612-619-2112. The operetta is free, but donations are appreciated. ASL services are provided. The presentation at J. D. Rivers’ is one of 12 selected community gardens in the Twin Cities. This performance is supported by grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, the St. Louis Park Arts and Culture Grant and the Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation, in partnership with MPRB Environmental Education Division.

Sabathanites return to Aquatennial

Tuesday, 27 July 2010 15:23
Al McFarlane - Editor-in-Chief

Sabathanites return to Aquatennial

The Hines family arrived from New York a generation ago carrying a legacy of drumming in their genes. “My two brothers, my two sisters and I had always been in drum and bugle corps as drummers and majorettes. It was the family tradition,” music maestro Gary Hines told Insight News last week.

“We hadn’t been here a good week when Spike Moss tracked us down. He had heard about us being drummers. He asked to come around to the Elks. We drummed with the Elks, Cato Lodge and others from that point on,” he said.

Lyndale Peace Garden is site of 65th anniversary commemoration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings

Tuesday, 27 July 2010 14:59

Lyndale Park Peace Garden in Minneapolis is one of the sites of the 2010 Hiroshima and Nagasaki commemoration events in the Twin Cities Aug. 5-8. The events mark the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombings of the two cities in Japan, the legacy of 20th century peacemakers, and the victims of the bombings.

The events at the Peace Garden include:

Thursday, Aug. 5, 6 p.m. – Formal tea ceremony by the Yukimakai Tea Study group. The ceremony occurs at the same time as commemoration events in Hiroshima. Music will be provided the Arden Consort.

Friday, Aug. 6, 7:30 a.m. – Ceremony of the Cranes. Former Minneapolis mayor Donald Fraser speaks at the ceremony. He was mayor when the original relic stone arrived from Hiroshima in 1985, which now marks the entrance to the Peace Garden Bridge. The program includes the story of Sadako Saski, a girl who developed cancer as a result of radiation released by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Told of a Japanese legend that people who fold 1,000 paper cranes will be granted a wish, Sadako folded over 1,000 cranes before her death at age 12. Wristbands with the names of bombing survivors, and on which people can write names of peacemakers, will be available at all the events to personalize the legacy of war and peace.

Friday, Aug. 6, 11 a.m., Ceremony of 11 Bells at the Spirit of Peace sculpture – Twenty women from Junshin High School and University in Nagasaki will join Veterans for Peace, Chapter 27, and Women in Black of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. All events are free and open to the public. The Peace Garden is located at 4124 Roseway Road. For further information on other events, directions to the sites, and background information, visit www.wilpfmn.org/hn or www.stpaulnagasaki.org/events or call 952-922-0308.